The first hearing against Zeynel Abidin Bulut who attended the commemoration of Journalist Mazlum Erenci who lost his life in the Çemişgezek district of Dersim in 2011 was held at Diyarbakır 4th High Criminal Court. Bulut and his attorney Resul Tamur was present at the hearing. Bulut was given 10 months of prison sentence at his first hearing.

 

At the commemoration held by the Dicle Fırat Journalists Association which he is an executive of, Bulut was accused of 'propagandizing a terrorist organization' because he called the participants for a minute of silence.

 

Making his defense at the first hearing, Bulut did not accept the accusations against him and told that he was there as a journalist.

 

Expressing his opinion on the merits, the prosecutor demanded Bulut to be punished for 'propagandizing a terrorist organization'.

 

Making a defense against the prosecutor's opinion on the merits, Attorney Temur stated that they did not agree with the prosecutor's opinion, emphasizing that the minute of silence was for the journalists who lost their lives and it was not a crime to commemorate them. Temur demanded his client's acquittal.

 

10 MONTHS OF PRISON SENTENCE

 

The court board sentenced Bulut to a 10-month prison sentence on the accusation of "making propaganda for an organization" and decided that the sentence was postponed.